I've seen several articles about people who have built their tiny houses for only $50,000.00 or so, usually on 12X20 ft. utility trailer bases. I find that laughable from a purely tactical viewpoint because a person can shop around and buy a good used caravan the same size or larger for much less.

Tiny houses lack flexibility because they lack floor space. So do caravans and motor homes. They're all just motel rooms on wheels.

Tiny houses use materials inefficiently. For example, a 10X10 tiny house with 100 square feet of enclosed space will have 40 linear feet of walls. On the other hand, with 80 linear feet of walls, you can have a room that's 20X20, with 400 square feet of space.

Or, for another 40 linear feet of walls (120 feet), you can have a 30X30 room with 900 square feet of space.

Going from 10X10 (40 lin. ft.) to 30X30 (120 lin. ft.) means three times more wall gives you nine times more floor space, IOW.

Of course, in the absence of time, money, or materials, you build (or buy) what you can and that's that.

The use of materials is even worse building multiple tiny houses in the desperate search for more room. Nine 10X10 tiny houses would provide 900 square feet of space, requiring 360 linear feet of wall instead of the 120 required for a single 30X30 foot room.

So, in the end, one goes with whatever's practical. The size of the family, the budget, the climate, the road access to the BOL--many different things can define the limiting parameters.

As an end goal, building a tiny house as opposed to an efficient house is simply problematic.

If I were going the tiny house route, I'd probably just pack a 20X20 pavilion tent in my used caravan or motor home for a little extra work/living space.

Then I'd spend five years at my BOL (If I had five years) building a full-size house and an even bigger barn.

Most "tiny house" articles I have read had the place near a real house so they could cook, use a toilet, get water, wash, etc., etc. All they really were was a sleeping room (that could be moved) next to a house, for a lot more money than I would spend for a sleeping room that small that I "owned", but had to keep moving. You would freeze to death in the winter in one too, so everyone I saw/heard of was in the south as there was no way to heat one. Even tepees can be moved and kept warm down to minus 20 (yes, -20 F) for a week (when it warmed up enough everyone could get out) with just a fire in the middle and a few decent blankets to roll up in.

Thats actually a good idea, as an extra bedroom, An RV would be cheaper, used ofc, but not as well built perhaps.

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Although we live in what most would call a BOL; we also have a 26' camper in the mountains. It is remote, and secluded. Far from anything which is the best part.

Septic and well; however, it is taking forever to have power run in.

Water is there:

The camper runs on AC or DC and has a tank for water with a DC pump. Solar panels on the roof. Plus there are trout in the stream and there is a lake .2 miles away with bass, walleye, etc.

A camper has a lot going for it.

Heraclitus:
“Out of every one hundred men, ten shouldn't even be there, eighty are just targets, nine are the real fighters, and we are lucky to have them, for they make the battle. Ah, but the one, one is a warrior, and he will bring the others back.”

I've never heard of tiny house costing $50,000. I thought they were down in the $10,000 range. You can buy a really nice mobile home for less than 50-large.

I like the idea of a tiny house from an economy and simple living point of view. But for prepping/survival/bugout I'm not sold.

You will still need a place to store all your preps, plus a workshop and tool storage. That would mean building a large pole barn or shed nearby. So although technically your living space would be small and efficient, many of the benefits would be wiped out by having separate space for utility purposes. And what if you have a large group? A whole village of tiny houses? All of which need heat and water and defensive capabilities?

Still, all I see is a trapper's shack or a really crappy wigwam for way too much money. Call me old fashioned. Haha.
Even the cabin kits blow the price out of the water, and I know several people who live out of campers. Always wondered why they never think about campers. Too much Pinterest I suppose.

“Man’s mind is his basic tool of survival. Life is given to him, survival is not. His body is given to him, its sustenance is not. His mind is given to him, its content is not. To remain alive, he must act, and before he can act he must know the nature and purpose of his action. He cannot obtain his food without a knowledge of food and of the way to obtain it. He cannot dig a ditch-or build a cyclotron-without a knowledge of his aim and of the means to achieve it. To remain alive, he must think." John Galt (Ayn Rand)

Patents are not evil, profit is not a dirty word, providing for your family's future is not a sin, and what is mine is not your's just because you want it. Kellory.I have received NO secret government orders.(Watch for this notice to be removed)